U.S. federal court records or official announcements regarding appeals

Mexico's Ex-Security Chief García Luna Sentenced to 38 Years in U.S. for Aiding El Chapo's Cartel

Oct 16, 2024, 09:50 PM

Genaro García Luna, Mexico's former Secretary of Public Security under President Felipe Calderón, was sentenced to 38 years and 8 months (460 months) in a U.S. federal court in New York for accepting millions of dollars in bribes from the Sinaloa Cartel led by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. In addition to the prison sentence, García Luna was fined $2 million. Convicted in February 2023 on five counts of drug trafficking and corruption, he was found guilty of protecting the cartel's drug shipments while spearheading Mexico's war on cartels. The sentence was handed down by Judge Brian Cogan on October 16, 2024, who accused García Luna of leading a double life by facilitating a major criminal enterprise while portraying himself as a law enforcement official. García Luna is the highest-ranking Mexican official ever tried on drug charges in the United States.